STE: Nightly Reedings
by ZenosParadox
Summary: RS fairytales. What bedtime stories do Malcolm and Hoshi tell their children?
1. The Princess of Light

Title: Nightly Reedings  
  
Author: ZenosParadox  
  
Summary: RS fairytales. What bedtime stories do Malcolm and Hoshi tell their children?  
  
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Paramount. This fiction was written solely for personal enjoyment.   
  
THE PRINCESS OF LIGHT   
  
A Soldier and a Singer on a Magic Ship  
  
Once upon a time there was a Soldier who had been cursed by an Evil Sorcerer. The Soldier was destined to become nothing but a bodiless wraith haunting the countryside unless he could find the Princess of Light to lift the curse. For you see, the curse made the Soldier empty, filling him with nothing but darkness.   
  
The Soldier was already not much more than the shell of a man when one day, a Golden King, who was a great Archer in his own right, came to him and said, "I need a sword to protect my crew as we sail on our adventures. Come aboard my magic ship and who knows what treasures you may find."   
  
So the Soldier joined the King on his latest enterprise and met the wondrous crew. He never told anyone of his curse or his personal quest. The Golden King was noble and wise. He had with him a Scholar from a foreign land who provided the voice of reason. He also had the great Southern Wizard whose magic made their ship go wherever adventure would carry them.   
  
And the Golden King also carried with him a Singer, a bard who knew the songs of many different lands and would use these songs to make friends even of their enemies.   
  
The crew of the magic ship had many adventures and the Soldier protected them as well as he could, especially the Singer with her wondrous voice. She was beautiful and strong, but sometimes did not like the rocking of the ship or the strange stars overhead. So the Soldier would stand quietly by her side, hoping his presence would calm her fears.   
  
The Singer began to smile upon the Soldier and with each smile, she drew away some of the darkness inside of him, replacing it with light. But the Soldier did not know this, even as he came to love the Singer.   
  
The Soldier began to despair because although the crew of the magic ship had many adventures, he had not found the Princess of Light. Without the curse removed, he would be less than a man and could not tell the Singer of his feelings. The Singer became saddened because the Soldier would not declare his love.   
  
Then one day, the great Southern Wizard and the foreign Scholar approached the Soldier and led him to a magic mirror. This mirror allowed the Soldier to see himself truly. And to his surprise, he found that he was more than an empty shell, that most of his darkness had been removed.  
  
  
  
"But how can this be?" the Soldier wondered.   
  
"The Singer does this for you, Soldier. Did you not know? What you see is the light she brings. What you see is the reflection of her love," answered the great Southern Wizard.   
  
Then the foreign Scholar turned to the Soldier and added, "The Singer's magic is not just from her voice. She befriends these strangers in foreign lands not only through her songs, but because she brings them light. The light allows others to see our friendship. She is indeed a Princess of Light."   
  
The Soldier thanked his friends for showing him the magic mirror for now he could declare his feelings to the beautiful Singer. When the Soldier found the Singer, he said to her, "You are the one I have sought all this time, my Princess of Light. But I have loved you even when I did not know you could be my salvation."   
  
The Singer turned to smile at the Soldier. Then, with one simple kiss, the Singer removed the remaining darkness and made the Soldier whole.   
  
And so the Soldier and the Singer lived happily ever after.  
  
*****  
  
Author Notes:  
  
Created as a story Malcolm Reed tells his children for the Midnight series found at LD fanfic archives. Written May? 2002. Minor revisions for this posting. Another Fairytale follows.  
  
No reviews are necessary. Thanks for reading the little fairytale. 


	2. The Magic Cricket

THE MAGIC CRICKET  
  
A Soldier and a Magic Cricket  
  
Once upon a time there was a Soldier who lived in a land with an Evil Sorcerer. The Sorcerer could not kill the Soldier himself, but hoped that by making him fight all the time that the Soldier would die in battle.   
  
But the Soldier always won. Then one day just before the end of summer, the Soldier had to fight an enemy that meant certain death unless he could find some magic to keep him safe. So the Soldier went to his Sister who was a great Seer. The Sister Seer could see the future and find wondrous, magical things.   
  
The Soldier asked his Sister the Seer to help him find a way to defeat this new enemy. The Sister considered his request carefully. The enemy had to be very powerful for her brother to ask for her help.   
  
After a time, the Seer told her Brother the Soldier to find a magic Cricket. This Cricket could make the sounds of other animals and was even able to talk to humans.   
  
The Soldier was surprised that such a small creature would be able to help him defeat his enemy, but he had faith in the visions of his Sister. The Soldier asked the Seer how to find this magic Cricket.   
  
The Seer smiled and told her brother, "Listen for the Cricket whose chirp matches the beat of your heart."  
  
The Soldier did as he was told. That night he went into the most peaceful field he could find. He let his eyes appreciate the beautiful sunset and listened carefully for the Cricket. The sky began to darken, but the Soldier had learned to be a patient man. His faith was rewarded for the Soldier began to hear a faint a chirp that was in perfect rhythm with the beat of his heart. He had found the magic Cricket.  
  
The ebony Cricket seemed to be waiting patiently for the Soldier. He carefully collected the Cricket in the palm of his hand. "Magic Cricket, I fear I am doomed if you cannot help me defeat my enemy at dawn."  
  
The Cricket met the Soldier's gaze with her own almond-shaped eyes and asked, "Are you certain I am the ally you seek? I am not very big and most would think me weak."  
  
"Battles are not won by physical strength alone. We share a mutual rhythm of life. It is a sign of sharing a mutual fate. That is enough for me," said the Soldier to the beautiful ebony Cricket. So they spent the night together talking about their dreams and preparing for the battle.  
  
The next day when the Soldier went to fight, the magic Cricket let out a roar of a thousand dragons while the Soldier attacked with his sword. This scared the enemy so much that they ran away. The Soldier smiled while the magic Cricket gave a merry chirp at their victory.  
  
The magic Cricket was happy that she had helped the Soldier. She asked the Soldier to return her to the meadow where he had found her, so the Soldier gratefully obliged, although he was saddened to lose his beautiful little companion. The magic Cricket sent the Soldier away without telling him her secret. She could face her death on the last day of summer knowing that the one she loved would be safe.   
  
The Soldier went to his Sister the Seer to tell her of his victory. The Sister could see how much her Brother had come to love his little companion. She saw his face sadden when he told of how he had returned the magic Cricket to her meadow.  
  
"I am glad to see you alive, my Brother, but you should have shown the magic Cricket more gratitude. Go back to the meadow and seek her out, but this time, give her a kiss. It is the least you can do since she saved your life."  
  
The Soldier thought his Sister was rather peculiar to suggest he kiss the Cricket, but then, her advice had saved his life. And to tell the truth, he missed the chirping of the magic Cricket.   
  
So the Soldier went to the meadow and this time had no trouble finding the Cricket whose chirp matched the beat of his heart. He took her carefully into the palm of his hand and kissed the ebony Cricket.  
  
To his surprise and everlasting delight, the Cricket was transformed into a woman with ebony hair and beautiful, almond-shaped eyes.   
  
"Cricket!" the Soldier exclaimed. "Are you really my Cricket?"  
  
The Princess smiled and said, "You have released me from my curse. Now I can deal with the Evil Sorcerer who transformed me and rule my kingdom in peace."  
  
The Soldier helped the Princess banish the Evil Sorcerer from her lands. Her people found her to be a gentle and kind ruler. She was so nice, in fact, that she married the Soldier so that he would quit running off to war and other such silly things. And they lived happily ever after.   
  
*****  
  
Author Notes: Created as a story Madeline Reed tells Hoshi Sato for the Signs of Things to Come Series found at LD fanfic archives. Written June, 2002. Revised for this posting.  
  
No reviews are necessary. Thanks for reading another little fairytale. 


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